Local groups hit the trail this spring

April Burkhart

Wednesday

Mar 28, 2012 at 9:57 PM

On a cool morning in March, a group of nature-lovers gathers under a thick awning of purple wisteria at the Shade Garden Arbor at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and listens as Hugh Nourse reads a nature poem written by Henry David Thoreau.

With those words as inspiration, the group takes off on one of the garden's trails, greeted as they start by birds chirping from trees and bushes. They point out blooming flowers, ponder bends in the Middle Oconee River and consider the marks left by beavers that chewed on trees for awhile and returned to the water. Halfway through the walk, a hiker shares another nature reading, "Under the Vulture Tree" by David Bottoms.

At the end of the hike, the group stops to watch a flock of cedar waxwings flit back and forth from one holly tree to another eating a breakfast of berries.

Not a bad way to start a Thursday.

With the official start of spring, the garden's Circle of Hikers is just one of the nature groups in Athens that are taking to the woods.

The Circle of Hikers meets at 8:30 a.m. every Thursday through May 17 at the Shade Garden Arbor and explores a different trail each week to give nature-lovers an opportunity to see flowers and plants they love and to learn about plants and vegetation they haven't heard of before.

Nourse, who will lead the hikes through the spring, has worked with his wife to publish nature books, including "The Wild Flowers of Georgia" and "Favorite Wildflower Walks in Georgia." They even wrote a book about the botanical gardens along Milledge Avenue titled, appropriately, "The State Botanical Garden of Georgia."

"I have been a volunteer photographer for the garden since 1996 and every month since then, I have walked the garden once a month," Nourse said. "I'm very familiar with the garden and it's so much fun to walk with these people."

The garden also hosts a Spring Bird Ramble at 8 a.m. once a month for anyone who's interested. The next ramble is April 21 and will be led by the Oconee Rivers Audubon Society.

Nature-lovers inspired by spring can check out Athens' Nature Writing Group from 4:30-5:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at Athens Land Trust located at 685 N. Pope St. Each month the group discusses aspects of nature writing while learning more about the natural world. Pat Priest started the group last fall and handed over the reins to the group's regular attendees.

"Now that the weather is nice, the group will be going outside sometimes and will spend some time writing about nature," said group member Susie Criswell. "It's good to go outside to step away from being indoors and to be aware of the breeze and the trees and it very much influences what you write about. The writing time is in journal format and people can choose to share or not afterwards."

A $5 donation is requested to help support Athens Land Trust.

At Sandy Creek Nature Center, parents and children can spend time outdoors together during the center's free Second Saturday story time from 2:30-3 p.m. the second Saturday of each month. The next story time will be held April 14. Children will hear a different nature story each session and learn about the woods, butterflies, turtles and more.

The nature center also holds a Naturalist's Walk from 10-11 a.m. the first and third Saturday of each month, with the next walk scheduled for April 21.

"You have people who really enjoy the outdoors but you also have people who are unsure of the outdoors," said Randy Smith, the facility supervisor at Sandy Creek Nature Center. "We provide a variety of experiences for folks to (explore nature). They don't get lost in the woods because the trails are easy, but you can immerse yourself out here or take a short trail. There's something for every comfort level."

The hikes are free and the trails during the naturalist walks vary depending on who shows up for the walk and what their interests are. Participants are encouraged to bring a camera and binoculars.

Nature lovers who want to spend some time on the water can plan ahead for the annual Spring Shoal Lily Float on May 19 on the Broad River. The Broad River Watershed Association will host the canoe float and participants will get a chance to view the rare shoal lily along the lower section of the Broad River between Georgia Highways 17 and 79 at the mouth of Clark Hill Lake. The rare and endangered lily blooms dramatically only once a year.

During the float the group also will participate in a river clean-up as part of National River Cleanup week.

Participants can bring their own canoe or contact the Broad River Outpost to arrange to rent a canoe or kayak.

The cost is $15 for non-members of the Broad River Watershed Association or $10 per family, plus any canoe rental.

• State Botanical Garden of Georgia

(706) 542-6156 or www.botgarden.uga.edu

• Athens Nature Writing Group

email sgc45@hotmail.com

• Sandy Creek Nature Center

(706) 613-3615 or www.athensclarkecounty.com

• Spring Shoal Lily Float

(706) 795-2184 or (706) 783-2308

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